Pharisaic

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Pharisaic \Phar`i*sa"ic\ (f[a^]r`[i^]*s[=a]"[i^]k), Pharisaical
  \Phar`i*sa"ic*al\ (-[i^]*kal), a. [L. Pharisaicus, Gr.
     Farisai:ko`s: cf. F. pharisa["i]que. See {Pharisee}.]
     1. Of or pertaining to the Pharisees; resembling the
        Pharisees. "The Pharisaic sect among the Jews."
        --Cudworth.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Hence: Addicted to external forms and ceremonies; making a
        show of religion without the spirit of it; ceremonial;
        formal; hypocritical; self-righteous. "Excess of outward
        and pharisaical holiness." --Bacon. "Pharisaical
        ostentation." --Macaulay.
        [1913 Webster] -- {Phar`i*sa"ic*al*ly}, adv. --
        {Phar`i*sa"ic*al*ness}, n.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  pharisaic
       adj : excessively or hypocritically pious; "a sickening
             sanctimonious smile" [syn: {holier-than-thou}, {pietistic},
              {pietistical}, {pharisaical}, {sanctimonious}, {self-righteous}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  25 Moby Thesaurus words for "pharisaic":
     Pecksniffian, Tartuffian, Tartuffish, affected, canting, false,
     goody, goody-goody, holier-than-thou, hypocritic, hypocritical,
     insincere, mealymouthed, oily, pecksniffian, pharisaical,
     pharisean, pietistic, pious, sanctified, sanctimonious,
     self-righteous, simon-pure, sniveling, unctuous